Method for the sealing of roof or other structures

ABSTRACT

The method involves arranging along a roof joint, a longitudinal sealing element having a flexible channel and, at each side of the channel, a base flange and a cooperating upper flange. Roofing felt or other sheet material is located between the flange which embrace and provide a seal for the sheet material. At the interconnections of the roof joints, there are arranged junction sealing elements having, like the longitudinal sealing elements, channel parts and adjacent side flange, the channel parts of the junction elements extending at right-angles are to another so as to correspond to the joint interconnections.

United States Patent [1 1 Reeve 1 Apr. 3, 1973 54] METHOD FOR THE SEALING 0F 3,315,62l 4/1968 Curtis et al. ..52/58 3.4 7,273 6/1969 Thom ROOF OR OTHER STRUCTURES 3,599,384 8/1971 Carlson et al ..52/741 X William Ernest Reeve, Huntingdon, England lnventor:

Assignee: Silent Channel Products, Limited,

Huntingdon, England Filed: Jan. 4, 1971 Appl. No.: 103,669

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 29, 1970 Great Britain ..4,423/70 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Patry ..52 /573 X Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT The method involves arranging along a roof joint, a longitudinal sealing element having a flexible channel and, at each side of the channel, a base flange and a cooperating upper flange. Roofing felt or other sheet material is located between the flange which embrace and provide a seal for the sheet material. At the interconnections of the roof joints, there are arranged junction sealing elements having, like the longitudinal sealing elements, channel parts and adjacent side flange, the channel parts of the junction elements extending at right-angles are to anotherso as to correspond to the joint interconnections.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 3 197a SHEET 1 0F {1 PATENIEUAPRB I975 3 724 155 sum 2 or 4 FIGS METHOD FOR THE SEALING OF ROOF OR OTHER STRUCTURES This invention relates to the sealing of roof or other structures and is concerned more especially, but not exclusively, with the sealing of expansion joints in roof structures.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a method of sealing a joint in a roof or the like structure, wherein a longitudinal sealing element provided with a longitudinally extending flexible channel 'part and, at each side of said channel part, a base flange and a cooperating upper flange, is arranged with the channel part thereof extending along the joint, and wherein roofing felt or other sheet material is located between the cooperating flange at one side at least of the sealing element so that said cooperating flange embrace and provide a seal for the roofing material.

There is also provided means for the sealing of a joint in a roof structure comprising a longitudinal sealing element for location along the joint, the sealing element being formed of a resilient rubber or rubber-like material and having aflexible longitudinally extending channel part and, at opposite sides of the channel part,

integral laterally protruding flange parts, the flange parts at each side comprising a lower or base flange and an upper or overlapping flange having a portion directed towards the associated base flange so that the cooperating flange can embrace and provide a seal for roofing material engaged therebetween.

There may also be provided, for use in combination with the longitudinal sealing element, a junction sealing element for location at the connection and/or intersection of roof joints, the junction sealing element being formed also of a resilient rubber or rubber-like material and having hollow channel parts and associated flange parts so that the junction sealing element can be connected to a longitudinal element by resilient joining members which are fitted into adjacent channel parts of the sealing elements.

In addition, there may be provided, for use with a longitudinal sealing element, an upstand sealing element having a resilient joining member shaped to engage in the end of the channel part of a longitudinal sealing element, such joining member being formed also of rubber or rubber-like material and extending laterally from one side of an integrally formed generally flat wall part for engagement in the end of the channel part of a horizontally extending longitudinal sealing element to provide a seal at a vertical face of a building, such as a parapet wall.

For a better understanding of the invention, and the method by which it may be performed, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional viewof a longitudinal sealing element,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a longitudinal sealing element including means for joining that element to another similar element,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one form of junction sealing element for use with a longitudinal sealing element,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view taken along the line X- X of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of an upstand sealing element,

FIG. 6 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the sealing of a joint in a roof structure, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the sealing of a vertical intersection between a horizontal roof joint and a vertical wall.

, The illustrated sealing means is intended for the sealing of a jointing system in a roof structure, and comprises flexible sealing elements formed of neoprene. Alternatively, the sealing elements could be formed of a resilient rubber or rubber-like material or of an elastomerical material, such as, for example, plasticized polyvinyl-chloride. The sealing elements include a longitudinal sealing element indicated generally at 1 for location along a substantially straight joint in a roof structure. The sealing elements include also junction parts, such as an intersection element designated generally at 2 in FIGS. 3 and 4, and an upstand sealing element designated generally 3 in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Each longitudinal element 1 is of substantially uniform shape throughout its length and comprises an inverted generally U-shaped central channel part 4 having side walls 5 and a curved top wall 6. The channel section is open along its lower side, and the side walls 5 are formed integrally with laterally inwardly directed flange parts 7, these being coplanar with laterally outwardly extending base flange 8. The sealing element is also provided along each side with an upper or overlapping flexible flange 9. The flange 9 is formed integrally with the central channel section, its inner edge extending along the location at which the adjacent side wall 5 merges into the curved top wall 6. The

upper flange 9 is inclined outwardly and downwardly so that its outer longitudinal marginal part is directed towards the subjacent edge portion of the associated horizontal base flange 8. The formation of the flange at each side may be such as to permit the upper flange 9 to sag slightly on top of the subjacent base flange 8.

The longitudinal sealing element may be formed as an extrusion, the element being cut off to a desired length from a continuous length of the extruded section.

Two longitudinal elements 1 may be joined end-toend as illustrated in FIG. 2, by providing a flexible joiningmember 10 at the join between the two elements. This-joining member 10 is of inverted U-shape channel section, flexible and preformed to locate in, and to protrude from, an end of the central channel part of an element 1. The joining member 10 is located along its lower edges by the flanges 7 at the base of the longitudinal sealing element. The joining members 10 may be cut to length from an extruded section formed of the same flexible material as the sealing elements.

The junction sealing element 2 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is of moulded construction and has two centrally located inverted channel parts 11 disposed in cross-wise relation and formed with lateral flange 12, 13, these channel parts 1 l and the associated flange 12, 13 corresponding respectively to the central channel part 4 and the flange 8, 9 of the longitudinal sealing section 1. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the channel parts 11 are each formed at their ends, with integral joining members 10a for connection to adjacent lengths of the longitudinal sealing elements 1.

The channel parts 11 could alternatively have separately fitted joining members 10a, instead of the integrally formed members.

The upstand sealing element 3 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is also formed as a moulding of neoprene, polyvinyl-chloride or other rubber or rubber-like material, the element 3 having a substantially flat wall or backing part 14 formed integrally at one side with a laterally protruding joining member 15, this corresponding in shape to the joining members and 10a for engagement in the channel section of a longitudinal sealing element 1. The joining member 15 is disposed with the lower edges of its side walls raised from the lower edge of the backing part 14 so that, when engaged with a longitudinal sealing element 1, the lower edge of the backing part 14 will be substantially coplanar with the lower edges of the base flange 12 of the longitudinal sealing element.

The junction elements may further comprise moulded elements formed integrally with channel parts arranged to provide L sealing elements and T" sealing elements. The channel parts of such L and T" sealing elements may also have joining members such as those shown at 10a. The channel parts of the longitudinal sealing elements and of the junction sealing elements, may conveniently correspond in width to the expansion gaps of the roof joints to be sealed.

The formation of the longitudinal and junction sealing elements is such that they may conveniently by connected one to another to provide a substantially continuous flexible assembly for the sealing of intersecting joints of a roof structure.

Referring to FIG. 7, for example, there is shown a longitudinal sealing element 1 extending along a gap 16 between two adjacent parts 17, 18 of a roof structure, the part 17 having cladding 19 carried by beams 20, and the part 18 having an upper insulation layer 21 carried by a horizontally disposed reinforced concrete slab 22. The sealing element is applied so that the central channel section thereof is substantially in register with the gap 16, so that the base flange 8 at one side extends over the insulation layer 21, and the base flange 8 at the opposite side extends over the cladding 19. The base flange may be located in position by fastening means, comprising an adhesive.

Roofing material 23 comprising, for example, a plurality of water proof sheets, is positioned over each part of the roof structure so that marginal portions of the or certain of the sheets are located between the flange 8, 9 at each side of the sealing section. The upper flange 9 may be sealed to the roofing material by an appropriate adhesive.

Where the gap 16 extends into or across other similar gaps at right-angles thereto, the sealing of the intersecting gaps may be completed in a similar way, employing appropriate junction sealing elements such as the crossover element 2, or the similar L" or T junction pieces.

The sealing elements are suitable for use with most types of roofing material and the dimension between the two longitudinal flange at each side of the central channel section, can be modified according to the roofing material with which the element is to be employed. The longitudinal elements may conveniently be supplied in lengths of approximately 10 feet.

FIG. 8 illustrates the application of the sealing means in the sealing of a roof joint between a horizontal reinforced concrete roof slab 24 and a parapet wall 25. On

the slab, there is disposed a longitudinal sealing element 1 the channel section of which spans a gap j between two parts of the slab 24. The parapet wall 25 is recessed at 26 to receive the backing 14 of the upstand seal, so that the flexible joining member 15 carried by the backing can be located within the adjacent end portion of the sealing section 1, the latter extending as far as possible into the recess 26 towards the backing 14. The backing may be sealed to the recessed face of the parapet by a bitumized adhesive. Moreover, the front of the upstand may be sealed with a suitable rendering material indicated at 27.

The sealing means provides a positive seal. of the joints in roof structures, the various longitudinal elements being interconnected by the junction elements, the flexibility of the associated joining members facilitating mechanical location and interconnection of the various sealin'g elements required.

I claim:

1. A method of sealing a joint in a roof structure, wherein a flexible longitudinal sealing element having along its length, a flexible channel part and, at each side of the channel part, a base flange and a cooperating upper flange, is arranged with the flexible channel part of said element extending along a first gap forming part of said joint, wherein a junction sealing element having channel parts extending at right-angles one to another, is arranged at a junction between said first gap and a second gap of said joint, wherein the longitudinal sealing element is fitted at one end onto a joining member protruding from a channel part of said junction sealing element, said joining member engaging in the channel part of said longitudinal sealing element, and wherein roofing sheet material is engaged between and sealed to the cooperating flanges of said longitu dinal sealing element and to corresponding lateral flanges of said junction sealing element. 

1. A method of sealing a joint in a roof structure, wherein a flexible longitudinal sealing element having along its length, a flexible channel part and, at each side of the channel part, a base flange and a cooperating upper flange, is arranged with the flexible channel part of said element extending along a first gap forming part of said joint, wherein a junction sealing element having channel parts extending at right-angles one to another, is arranged at a junction between said first gap and a second gap of said joint, wherein the longitudinal sealing element is fitted at one end onto a joining member protruding from a channel part of said junction sealing element, said joining member engaging in the channel part of said longitudinal sealing element, and wherein roofing sheet material is engaged between and sealed to the cooperating flanges of said longitudinal sealing element and to corresponding lateral flanges of said junction sealing element. 